Site Mobile Navigation

Helping Public-Housing Victims of the Storm

“Where Hurricane Sandy Still Hurts” (editorial, Nov. 9) did not take account of the unprecedented efforts city workers have undertaken — and the round-the-clock hours they have been working — to assist public housing residents affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The New York City Housing Authority operates more than 400 buildings — with nearly 80,000 people — that lost power, heat and hot water. Getting those services restored as quickly as possible has been a top priority for the Bloomberg administration. As of this writing, more than 95 percent of residents have had power restored, and more than 75 percent have heat and hot water.

Housing Authority staff members slept in developments during the night of the storm to be ready to begin recovery work immediately the next morning. Since then, an army of Housing Authority staff members, private contractors and dedicated volunteers — along with our state and federal partners — have been working to restore power and heat, clean affected buildings, and deliver food and water to residents. They will not rest until all residents have all of their services restored.

The last two weeks have been incredibly difficult for our residents, and we have much work to do. But no one should doubt that public housing residents have been at the center of the city’s storm recovery efforts.

ROBERT K. STEELDeputy MayorNew York, Nov. 11, 2012

A version of this letter appears in print on November 13, 2012, on Page A26 of the New York edition with the headline: Helping Public-Housing Victims of the Storm. Today's Paper|Subscribe